Not Just A Game
by Fawlen
Summary: This isn't a game. It's a trap. All of it is just an illusion. None of it exists. But the world I currently live in does.
1. The Beginning

**Fawlen: All right, I know I've been re-writing this story a lot, but it can't be helped, my writing is improving each day. My ideas have also changed and after some thought, I converted the two chapters into one, so the whole monologue is just a lengthened version of the summary, like BuBuWinter suggested. This story is still dedicated to them, and I want to say thank you for all of those who have put up with me. I'll try to be more consistent, but there's no guarantee that will happen.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Wizard101.**

**Warning: There will be a few cussing in this story.**

* * *

Not everything has to always depend on magic. You don't always have to learn magic to defeat monsters. People just think it's easier. Honestly, I think they're wrong. Magic seems like a waste of time. It takes time to cast a few spells, and if you don't do it fast in a battle…well, let's just say it won't end up pretty. The Spiral isn't as innocent as it looks in games. The place is like a battlefield.

The monsters here are vicious. They won't hesitate to come after you. It doesn't matter if you walk on the sidewalks, they'll still come after you. They're not generous. They don't give you turns to cast spells, and you definitely don't re-spawn after you lose all your health. I don't know what all of you think, but this place is truly like living in Hell.

Many people have lost their families. We barely have any food and there's barely any space for anyone. The people that are richer are selfish. They don't care about the food shortages because can buy it with their money, and they certainly don't care about other people dying. They live in their safe, comfy home with a few well-trained guards to protect them. I sued to envy the people in the high society when I was younger, but now, I despise them. I truly hope I'll never have to meet one of them.

This isn't a game. This isn't just for fun. People die every single second of the day. It's not like the game 'Wizard101', it's different. And I hope that one day, you'll be able to see just how cruel it really is, because the game isn't a game. It's a trap. Once you play it, you'll get sucked in. And there's no way out. The graphics you see are all just a lie. Nothing more but a mere illusion. Merle Ambrose doesn't exist. None of it does. But the world I currently live in does.

* * *

_"Hey, you gonna help us or what?"_

_"We need the almighty Beta Tester to help us!"_

_"Whatever you say, kiddo!"_

_Those were the last words someone spoke to me before I was sucked in._

_I remember it all so clearly. I remember logging in and creating a character. Then the graphics started to change. The colors changed into duller shades. Merle Ambrose's face melted like candle wax, and the owl's beady eyes stared at me with great intensity, as if it was staring straight into my soul. Its eyes flashed a demonic red, and the next thing I knew, black tendrils seeped out of the screen. They reached out for me. The room darkened with the computer screen as the only source of light._

_The room trembled along with my body, and I scrambled back as quickly as I could. My back hit the door, and I twisted the doorknob to escape. It didn't budge. I tried again and again, but the result was still the same. I banged on the door, screaming for help. I had hoped my mother or brother would hear. They didn't._

_The tendrils wrapped around my legs and arms, immobilizing me. I couldn't move. The only thing I could do was scream and thrash my body around. It was all in vain. I couldn't stop it from happening. All of it seemed like a nightmare, but it was all real. I could feel myself being dragged. I could feel the vice-like grip the tendrils had around my wrists and ankles. All of it was real._

_"Nobody will save you! You can't escape!" The old wizard's voice screeched._

_I screamed one last time before blackness overtook my vision. My vision blurred, and the last thing I remembered was the sound of someone banging on my door. It was too late though. The game had already trapped me. I couldn't escape no matter how much I tried. It was simply impossible._

* * *

_My eyes snapped open, and I was met with a whole different world. It looked exactly like Wizard City, but at the same time it wasn't. The bright, vibrant colors were replaced with darker, grimmer colors. The grass was a shade of pale yellow, the trees were bare of their leaves, and the lake was a murky green/black color. _

_The streets were crowded, filled with kids around the age of ten. Panicked cries and sobs filled the air, and the smell of tears lingered in the air. I squeezed through the crowd and navigated my way around the streets. If I played my cards right, then I would find Ravenwood somewhere around this bend._

_A group of teens stood in front of the entrance to Ravenwood. They seemed to be around the age of sixteen, maybe older. There were only three, but I still felt quite intimidated by them. The girl of the group seemed to spot my quivering figure hiding behind a tree, which just so happened to be there. She smiled, her kind brown eyes softly staring at me, and gestured for me to come closer. _

_I timidly walked closer until I stood in front of the girl. Her companions, two boys, seemed to notice that there was a small girl standing in front of their friend. They didn't do anything. They just stood there, watching. The girl still had that same smile plastered on her face and enveloped me in a hug. This took me by surprise, and I just stood there, my body frozen to the ground. I didn't know what to do._

_"It's all right. We're not going to hurt you. We'll help find a way to escape this madness." The girl whispered._

_And with that, I felt my whole body shake with sobs. I clutched onto the back of her shirt and cried as she whispered soothing words into my other. The other teens knelt down beside her and gave me comforting smiles. I guess, maybe living here isn't so bad after all._

_After I had gotten rid of my sobbing mess, I learned their names. Hope was the name of the girl that had comforted me. Her name described her perfectly, for she was the one who gave me _hope _in this despicable world. She had long ebony hair pulled into a single braid and soft chocolate brown eyes. She was tall with wide hips and small pink lips to match. Her looks could rival that of a model, and any boy would be lucky to have her._

_James was her twin brother. He had the same features as her and only a few inches taller than her. His presence gave off an intimidating aura, but his personality said otherwise. Many girls held crushes due to his looks, but he didn't spare any of them a glance. The only thing he cared about was his sister, his friends, and me._

_Lucas was the other boy who were with them. I learned that he was both of the siblings' best friend and would follow them wherever they went. He had short brown hair and ocean blue eyes. His eyes always twinkled with mischief, no matter the situation. He would always crack jokes whenever he can, even if they are pretty cheesy. I realized now that I miss those jokes, even the bad ones, I can't help but admit._

_They took me in and treated me like a family. Hope and James were like the older siblings I never had, and Lucas was the best friend that I always confided with. I felt happy. They were the only thing keeping me alive._

* * *

_Soon after that, everything became a blur. I remember becoming a knight and watching my friends grow stronger each day. The two siblings became two of the most powerful wizards in the Spiral, and Lucas became the head captain of the knights. He taught me how to use a sword and how to manipulate your surroundings to help you in a fight._

_Everything was going well. Because of those three, a lot of the trapped players gained hope in finally leaving this wretched game. But all good things must come to an end – as the saying goes. I had thought the little expedition would be easy. I would have never thought we would get ambushed. I actually never thought that the monsters would get smarter._

_It was July fourth, Independence Day in America. We decided that we should hunt some monsters down just to celebrate one of the most important days in America. We traveled through Unicorn Way, killing monsters as we go._

_Everything was fine, until I felt a cold breath breathing down my neck. I had let out a shrill scream, alerting the three that there was a Ghoul behind me. Although Ghouls can easily die with just one slash or a simple magic spell, they were hard to kill. _

_Lucas grabbed me by the elbow and slashed his sword at the Ghoul. It disappeared into a billow of smoke. I let out a sigh of relief, which was until I heard Hope scream. Lucas and I whirled around, his sword drawn, to see one of the most horrible sights I've ever seen. Hopes skill was a deathly shade of white. A trail of red escaped between her lips, staining them with its red color, and her eyes lost their sheen. Worst of all, the blade of a sword was protruding from her stomach with a Skeletal Pirate standing behind her._

_James let out a cry of rage and charged at the Skeletal Pirate, his wand buzzing with white hot energy. Next thing I knew, we were surrounded. Skeletal Pirates, Ghouls, and Pixies had formed a circle around us. The Pixies' demented giggles rang through my ears, and I watched as James was blasted with a giant ball of black energy. His body fell, convulsing until his whole body ceased of any movements. The energy encircling the wand fizzled out into tiny sparks. His spell took too much time that he wasn't able to kill any of them off._

_Lucas let out a low, feral growl and slashed through the throng of monsters, creating a gap big enough for one person to escape. With a smile, Lucas pushed me through the hole and drew all the attention on him. "Save the Spiral!"_

_I stared with wide eyes at the crowd of monsters surrounding Lucas. My body felt numb, and all I could do was stare at Lucas's fighting figure. His blue eyes met mine for a split second and he conveyed all the emotions through them: anger, hurt, sorrow, and determination. I drew in a deep breath and watched as the sheer amount of monsters overcame him. Blood splattered on the floor, and I stared in horror. Tears left my eyes, blurring my vision, and I dashed away from the scene. Loud growls and psychotic giggles rang through my ears. That was the last memory I had of my family – dying before my eyes, and I couldn't do anything to save them._

_After the attack, I had vowed to myself that I would save the Spiral and escape from this wretched trap. All of it…I would do all of it. For Lucas, for Hope, for James, and for everyone else trapped in this nightmare of a game._

* * *

Magic won't save you. I learned that after seeing how fast Hope and James died. No matter how good you are in magic, it won't save you when you're surrounded. Only blades and shields will save you in this world. It's a cruel reality, but you should learn by now that magic is just a trick to entertain. It's not meant for fighting – in a game or in real life.


	2. Thief

**Fawlen: Just to make up for the long wait, I finally wrote another chapter. Yay! I hope you like it, and my writing may be confusing, but please bear with me. Also, I'd appreciate it if you give me so feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Wizard101.**

**Warning: There will be a few cussing in the story.**

* * *

Not everything has to always depend on magic. You don't always have to learn magic to defeat monsters. People just think it's easier. Honestly, I think they're wrong. Magic seems like a waste of time. It takes time to cast a few spells, and if you don't do it fast in a battle…well, let's just say it won't end up pretty. The Spiral isn't as innocent as it looks in games. The place is like a battlefield.

The monsters here are vicious. They won't hesitate to come after you. It doesn't matter if you walk on the sidewalks, they'll still come after you. They're not generous. They don't give you turns to cast spells, and you definitely don't re-spawn after you lose all your health. I don't know what all of you think, but this place is truly like living in Hell.

Many people have lost their families. We barely have any food and there's barely any space for anyone. The people that are richer are selfish. They don't care about the food shortages because can buy it with their money, and they certainly don't care about other people dying. They live in their safe, comfy home with a few well-trained guards to protect them. I sued to envy the people in the high society when I was younger, but now, I despise them. I truly hope I'll never have to meet one of them.

This isn't a game. This isn't just for fun. People die every single second of the day. It's not like the game 'Wizard101', it's different. And I hope that one day, you'll be able to see just how cruel it really is, because the game isn't a game. It's a trap. Once you play it, you'll get sucked in. And there's no way out. The graphics you see are all just a lie. Nothing more but a mere illusion. Merle Ambrose doesn't exist. None of it does. But the world I currently live in does.

* * *

The sound of feet slapping against stone rang through the ears of an eighteen-year-old teen. His lips formed a grin, and his heart pumped with adrenaline. His red, tattered cape flowed behind him, leaving a streak of red. From below, since he was on the rooftops, the sounds of footsteps slowed until they gradually stopped altogether.

This time, the male let out a laugh. It was deep, with a hint of triumph and mockery in it. It always ended like this – he would steal, knights would try to catch him, and in the end, they would give up. It was simply too easy, and it seemed that the knights would just stop bothering with him and move on to more important matters to deal with.

The teen slowed down until he came to a complete halt and surveyed his surroundings. Somehow, he had stumbled near the arena, a place where other players battle each other to see who's stronger. He snorted at the thought. It was simply useless to battle each other when they should put their skills to use and kill monsters instead. But, he is pretty hypocritical himself. He knows that he should be fighting monsters rather than stealing, but he has a family to take care of.

Besides, stealing from the rich is better than stealing from the less fortunate. I like to think of myself as Robin Hood, the teenager thought with a grin.

"Seems like my plan did work." A voice alerted the teen.

He whirled around to find who spoke and discovered it was a girl, around his age, lazily leaning against a chimney. She had long golden blond hair tied into a high ponytail and glowing blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of the standard knights' uniform for the women with a few alterations to the design. A big, slender sword hung around her waist, close enough to be unsheathed in an instant if danger is near. Her arms were crossed, and she had a small, smug smirk set upon her face.

"What?" The thief asked, puzzled by the sudden turn of events.

The girl sighed and pushed herself off the chimney. "Is that all? Man, and I thought I was going to see something interesting! Don't worry, though, I won't hurt you…unless you do something for me, that is." The girl sent a mischievous grin towards him.

"What do you want?" He demanded, his voice harsh with no hint of emotion.

The knight swung her hands up in mock surrender. "No need to be so harsh! Like I told you, I won't hurt you unless you do something for me."

He stared at her. Nothing gave away his next move, but you could clearly tell he wanted this to be over with. The knight sighed and shook her head at him, like she was disappointed at the outcome.

"Fine, I get it. And I thought something entertaining would come out of this." The knight mumbled to herself, her words were loud enough for the thief to hear, and she rolled her eyes at his earlier action.

"What do you want?" He repeated. His tone was firm and still contained the harshness in it.

She sighed but straightened her back to look more presentable, not a glimmer of playfulness from earlier was there. "Dominique Everhart, I need your help."

The teen, dubbed as Dominique Everhart, stared at the knight blankly, the words processing in his mind and repeating over and over again like a broken player. She stared back at him with a hard gaze, her arms crossed, and she looked expectedly at the taller male. Finally, he sighed and shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his lips. She stared quizzically at him, her lips pursed with her eyebrows knitted together to show obvious confusion.

"You want me, a thief, to help a knight like yourself? You've gotta be kidding me! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard." Dominique sputtered out, his laughter growing louder and louder by the second. It was completely incomprehensible why a noble and just knight wanted a lowly, pitiful thief's help. Just the mere thought brings waves of laughter to the male.

"Look, I know the idea is rather laughable, but I really do need your help. I promise to you, after you complete the task I want for you to do, I won't have the other knights chase after you. Please, at least hear me out." She pleaded.

Dominique hummed in response, his shoulders still quaking from hidden laughter. He could humor her and listen to her, besides, he wanted to hear this "brilliant" plan of hers. "Fine, tell me what you've got."

The blonde's lips quirked into a small smirk of satisfaction. "Good. My name's Alessia Mandracchia, captain of the elite squad. It has come to my attention that this wretched game has been going for ten years now, and I want to put a stop to this madness. That's why I'm forming a team full of the best people in here to find out the reason why we've been put in this hellhole to begin with and to escape. And I want you to be a part of that team. You're wit and speed has caught my attention, and I believe you'll be able to be a great asset to the team."

"Whoa, what? This is insane! You know as well as I that we'll never be able to leave this place! It's unbeatable! Besides we haven't even been to the other worlds! You don't know what the other monsters are like! How powerful they are! What were you fucking thinking?" Dominique exclaimed, spitting out multiple insults and profanities at the idea.

Alessia didn't seem fazed. No, she looked as if she expected this kind of outburst from the male. "I know this is an absurd idea, but this is the only chance we've got. Recently, there's been a lot of talented people in the game, and if we take this offer up, we can finally beat this game once and for all. Don't you want to go back to our world? To be able to taste the different foods and to see our friends and family?"

"I do, I really do. But this, all of this, is just too insane. I can't risk my life on such an outrageous idea. I have people here to help, to protect." He replied, hanging his head so his messy dark brown hair shielded his face from view.

"Would you rather risk your life at a chance to escape and help everyone leave this place? Or would you rather suffer in this game more, the chance of losing your love ones increasing by the day? You can help protect the people you love in this place by joining me and finding a way out. Please, just consider my offer." Alessia smiled sadly at Dominique before turning around to leave, but a hand stopped her from doing so.

"I'd rather join you and find a way to escape. The thought of them suffering because of this game is one I cannot have. I'll join you, you have my word." Dominique's voice shook with emotion, his hand quivering with fear and determination.

The blond turned her head to look at the male, a small smile of relief featured on her fair face. "Thank you, I appreciate your bravery. Not many would have agreed to join, but you are one of the very few who can foresee the outcome if we tried."

"I'm not one of the few you described as. I'm only joining because I want to escape and protect the people I care for. I don't know what we're gonna face, but all I know is that if this plan works, my family can leave this damned place. Alessia Mandracchia, lead me to this goal, and I will be forever loyal to you." He whispered, bowing his head in gratitude.

"So, that is your wish, then I will try my best to grant it. Welcome to the team, Dominique Everhart. I thank you for risking your life for the life of others." Alessia nodded her head back at the male.

* * *

_And so it begins. The quest to leave this hell has begun. We only have two more people left to join us, then our journey shall begin, and we'll be one step closer to escape this madness. Hope, James, Lucas, I hope you're there to see this. Like I promised all of you, I _will_ find a way to escape._


	3. Consent

**Fawlen: Meh, this story will continue...just slow...really slow...like a turtle. **

**Disclaimer: ****I do NOT own Wizard101.**

**Warning: ****There will be a few cussing in this story.**

* * *

Not everything has to always depend on magic. You don't always have to learn magic to defeat monsters. People just think it's easier. Honestly, I think they're wrong. Magic seems like a waste of time. It takes time to cast a few spells, and if you don't do it fast in a battle…well, let's just say it won't end up pretty. The Spiral isn't as innocent as it looks in games. The place is like a battlefield.

The monsters here are vicious. They won't hesitate to come after you. It doesn't matter if you walk on the sidewalks, they'll still come after you. They're not generous. They don't give you turns to cast spells, and you definitely don't re-spawn after you lose all your health. I don't know what all of you think, but this place is truly like living in Hell.

Many people have lost their families. We barely have any food and there's barely any space for anyone. The people that are richer are selfish. They don't care about the food shortages because can buy it with their money, and they certainly don't care about other people dying. They live in their safe, comfy home with a few well-trained guards to protect them. I sued to envy the people in the high society when I was younger, but now, I despise them. I truly hope I'll never have to meet one of them.

This isn't a game. This isn't just for fun. People die every single second of the day. It's not like the game 'Wizard101', it's different. And I hope that one day, you'll be able to see just how cruel it really is, because the game isn't a game. It's a trap. Once you play it, you'll get sucked in. And there's no way out. The graphics you see are all just a lie. Nothing more but a mere illusion. Merle Ambrose doesn't exist. None of it does. But the world I currently live in does.

* * *

_The blood. The scream. Giggling. Death. That's all I see and hear in this barren landscape. I frantically search my surroundings, trying to find some sort of hint on what's going on. What I find shocks me. There lies three dead bodies just a few feet ahead of me. One female, and two male. My head began to spin, and I stumbled on my own two feet before collapsing on the ground. Those bodies are Hope, James and Lucas – my deceased family. I crawled towards their body in desperation, in need to know if they were still alive. I know this is all just a dream, but I miss them. I miss seeing Hope's smiling face, James's overprotective spirit, and Lucas's beautiful ocean blue eyes. I just had to see them!_

_ But as I crawled closer to their bodies, it seemed like they grew farther away from me. I shook my head and pushed myself to go faster, but no matter how much I tried, they were still too far for me to reach. Why? Why couldn't I save them? Why was I such a weakling? None of this would've happened if I didn't just stand there and watch them die. If only…if only I was stronger._

**_ "But you aren't. You're not strong at all. You're weak, a pathetic little girl who couldn't even protect her family."_**_ A voice whispered._

_ I shook my head, covering my ears with my hands to block the voice out. _No, just leave me alone_, I thought, closing my eyes tightly with tears leaking out. _

**_"Poor, little Alessia. You should've been the one to die, not them. Not sweet, angelic Hope. Not the brave and kind James. And especially not Lucas. He made a mistake to save you. He should've saved himself." _**_It whispered again, but another voice joined. It was Hope's voice that joined._

_ I choked back a sob and curled up in a ball. "No, stop it! I didn't mean to."_

_**"Oh, but you did. You could've saved them. But no, you just stood back and watched as your family died. You could've stopped that Skeletal Pirate from stabbing Hope, you could've taken the hit for James, and you could've pushed Lucas through the gap rather than fleeing." **__This time, James's voice was added into the mix._

_ "No, no, no, no, stop it! I don't wanna hear this!" I screamed. I clutched tighter onto my hair surrounding my ears, close enough to rip the strands from my scalp._

_**"You'll always hear it! Because you know why? It's your past, it's not made up. It'll always be your past, and it'll always be your fault! You don't deserve to live!" **__Now all three of my deceased family's voices were combined with the voice. _

_ "It's my fault. I know I shouldn't have been the one to live." I sobbed. All around me their voices began to fire more harsh comments, most of them were asking why I was the one to live while they died. What hurt the most is when I heard Lucas's voice tell me he regretted saving me, that he should've saved himself and left me to die._

A sharp knock on my door awoke me from my slumber, and I shot up from my bed, my breath heavy from the nightmare. I shakily stood up, wiping the sweat that accumulated on my forehead, and walked towards the door. "W-who is it?" I asked. I silently cursed myself for stuttering. It showed weakness, and I couldn't have that.

"It's Zalman, ma'am." I heard the familiar deep voice of my subordinate.

"Right, and tell me why you've come so early in the morning to address me in my room?" I replied back. I still sounded a bit winded and hoarse from my dreams, but luckily, I didn't stutter like I did earlier.

"Um, excuse me for saying this, ma'am, but it is currently 1200 hours." Zalman said, a hint of nervousness in his tone. He was afraid I would do something to him because of how high my rank is, but I'm not like that. I wouldn't hurt a fellow knight.

My eyes widened in shock at Zalman's statement. I hurriedly walked over to my window in my small room and threw the wooden shutters open. What he said is true. By the fake sun's position, it was 12 o'clock. I was supposed to be up seven hours ago! I rushed back to the door and said, "I see, thank you for informing me, Zalman. I shall be down at the training grounds in just a moment."

I can imagine Zalman nodding his head and saluting, his right hand over his heart and bowing his head slightly. "Yes, ma'am, but Head Captain has informed me that he wants to see you first. Apologies for my rude behavior. I shall take my leave now." The sound of retreating footsteps were heard, and I knew then that Zalman really did leave.

I sighed and shook my head. Zalman was too polite for his own good, but I guess that assisted him in moving up the ranks. "Now what does that old geezer want?" I muttered, running my finger through my hair before getting ready for the day.

I walked towards my dresser and stared at my appearance in the mirror hanging above the dresser. I looked like a complete mess, and I'm glad I didn't have Zalman see me or else he would'vew gone all mother hen on me. Sometimes I wonder if he's the one that should be looking after me rather than the other way around. I turned my head, unable to look at myself any longer, and grabbed my brush to at least tame my matted, sweaty blonde hair. (It was disgusting, but the sweat was from the nightmare I had, which I shivered involuntarily at.)

In the end, my hair didn't look as bad as it did earlier. I managed to untangle my locks, but my hair looked greasy and flat. I can't go out looking like this. My reputation will diminish if I look like I finally broke from the game. I scowled at my hair and pulled it up in a high ponytail. I then proceeded to "fluff" my ponytail, as one could say, to add more volume and make myself look more presentable. I looked better, but those bags under my eye didn't exactly help.

"All right, face, you win this time. But next time, I'm gonna win." I sassed at my appearance, the mirror mimicking my move. I stuck my tongue out and swiftly turned around, strutting away like a diva.

After my little smackdown against my mirror me, I began to change out of my sleeping attire and dressed for the day. My every day clothes normally consisted of: a quarter-sleeve, button-up white shirt, bindings wrapped tightly around my chest, black spandex shorts, and the standard uniform for dames. But rather than the standard red and silver accents they had for the armor, I decided to change it to my own design using blue and gold accents. (Lucas did the same thing with his armor, so I decided to follow his example.)

It became a hassle when I realized I should've done my hair after I got dressed because my precious hair was caught by the collar of the armor and I had to walk around the room without seeing where I was going. To be honest, if anyone were to see this, they would've thought I was decapitated and running around my room, bashing my body against the wall while I'm at it, like a headless chicken.

Finally, after I got dressed and redid my hair, I was ready for the day. I adjusted my leather sword belt and sheathed my sword. It was mandatory to carry a weapon around with you in case of an attack. With everything ready to go, I set out to find the Head Captain – a pesky old man who is too much of a perv.

* * *

"So, from what I've heard from Zalman, you seem to have a reckless plan, do you not?" An elderly man with a long white beard with equally long white hair to match questioned.

I nodded in confirmation. It's best to stay silent when talking with this old geezer or else something stupid might happen.

"Hmm," he stroked his beard, a hard thinking face set upon his old features, which made him look like he's constipated. "And what makes you think I shall allow such a mission to happen? And the success rate of it is very low."

"Even so, this could be our chance to help us escape. I've been observing many players now, and their skills have evolved. If we utilize their powers, we can escape from this hell." I countered, glaring at the man.

"Your words are true. People have gotten stronger, but risking their lives to do this is absurd. If this mission fails, we'll have less people to start with." He argued.

I rolled my eyes. "But if this plan works, we don't have to worry about more people dying! We'll be back in our world, free from this hell!"

"Alessia, that is enough! This plan too risky! My words are final!" He barked, slamming his hands against his stone grey desk.

I shook my head. "No, I shall not stop. This plan may be idiotic, but it's our only chance." I stared defiantly into his grey eyes, not backing down one bit. He stared back calmly, a small smile displayed on his wrinkled old face, his arms crossed bemusedly.

At last, he sighed and shook his head, chuckling slightly. "I can never argue with you, it seems. Fine, I shall allow this mission, but there is one condition."

_I knew it_, I thought. _He would never allow this unless there's something else. _"And what is this condition?"

"The condition is to have the infamous thief that keeps stealing our supplies to join your team and stop this thievery. If you are able to do so, I shall allow your foolish plan to happen. Are we clear?" The old man bargained.

I scowled and nodded my head.

"Good. Now shoo, you interrupted me when I was in the middle of reading." He waved his hand in a shooing manner, lazily picking his perverted book off his desk.

"Yeah, yeah, we all know how you love your precious porn books." I mumbled, slamming the door behind me. In the room, I heard him curse profanities at me and state that _the book isn't porn, it's an elusive tale of two young lovers doing sexual activities with one another to show their passionate love_. Ha, yeah right. I can't believe this perverted old man is the Head Captain.

I sighed and shook my head at his antics, then smirked. Finally, my plan will be set to motion and I can finally live as a normal human being rather than live like some mindless drone inside a game. Other people can accept to live in here, but there is no way in hell am I staying for the rest of my life. This is real. This is a life or death situation, not some fanciful game where all you have to do is survive and you're living the life!

No, I intend to escape.

Even if it means dealing with a criminal.


End file.
